


scientific method

by mechanicalUniverses



Series: Simpatico Week [3]
Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: A complete disgrace of the scientific method, Bad Flirting, But they're having fun so it's okay, First Kiss, Flirting, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:08:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27812053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mechanicalUniverses/pseuds/mechanicalUniverses
Summary: Perceptor's been staring at Brainstorm an awful lot lately.
Relationships: Brainstorm/Perceptor (Transformers)
Series: Simpatico Week [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2033128
Comments: 8
Kudos: 64
Collections: SimpaticoWeek





	scientific method

**Author's Note:**

> day three! i just decided to have fun with this one hehe :3 enjoy!

One of the many fantastic things about the scientific method is that it’s nearly universally applicable. The same seven or so steps remained constant, even if their content or order changed:

  * Develop a question or some observation.
  * Do some research.
  * Form a hypothesis.
  * Conduct an experiment.
  * Collect data.
  * Examine said data.
  * Form a conclusion.



Naturally, the way each individual step was performed varied from one individual to the next. But they always could be ultimately broken down into those same steps.

But what made the scientific method _great_ was that it could be applied to things that were not strictly science-related.

For example, Brainstorm’s current question: Why was Perceptor staring at him so much lately?

Seriously. At first, he’d figured it was an accident. It wasn’t the strangest thing he’d ever encountered, looking up from his work to ask Perceptor a question only to find he was already looking at him. Hell, he’d been guilty of the same thing on multiple occasions. But recently, it’d been happening _way_ too often to be chalked up to mere coincidence. He’d be across the lab doing something mundane like wiping down the lab counters _,_ and his wings would prickle distinctly. When Brainstorm noticed him, Perceptor would very indiscreetly turn away. Once or twice would’ve been easy to brush off. But multiple times a day, for several days in a row? And when he wasn’t doing anything that could possibly prompt anyone, much less Perceptor, to stare at him?

The question, Brainstorm decided, required further investigation.

His research began with an examination of his and Perceptor’s partnership. Initially, Perceptor had been assigned to keep an eye on Brainstorm after ~~his greatest failure~~ the time-travel incident. Rodimus had only picked Perceptor because they both knew Perceptor would be the only one capable of telling if Brainstorm was designing a shelf or the next item on the Autobot Code’s list of forbidden methods of warfare. The arrangement, though necessary, was evidently deeply unpleasant to Perceptor. He took issue with almost everything Brainstorm did, from his experimental approaches to how he drew up his work, and he was none too shy about letting Brainstorm know it. Pit, he _vented_ too loudly once, and Perceptor had gotten on his case about it.

No, they definitely did not have the smoothest of starts. It was only after Brainstorm’s restrictions that’d been placed on him after the time-travel debacle were slowly lifted, and he was able to start properly working with Perceptor in the lab that they really started to get along. To this day, Brainstorm wasn’t sure if it’d been proof of competence Perceptor had been after the whole time, but he warmed up right quick as Brainstorm brought idea after idea to life. Maybe he’d finally understood they honestly did share a mutual appreciation for science, for however much Perceptor claimed Brainstorm liked to bastardize it. Maybe he’d been secretly impressed by Brainstorm’s work. Whatever the case, it got him opening up with more casual debates than arguments, and then small talk, and then casual conversations, and then, and then… Well, Brainstorm supposed he had to say they were friends. Good friends, even.

It was a short bit after the realization the staring had begun.

To gather a bit more information, Brainstorm began to mirror Perceptor’s behaviors right back at him. Much less obviously, of course. He once was a double-agent for, after all. Not a great one by any means, but good enough to have picked up a few tips on subtlety along the way.

Right away, he noticed that Perceptor looked at him _way_ more than he’d thought. Not only outside the lab, but in public places like _Swerve’s_ , or when they were in a meeting with high command. Lingering little side-eyes and glances that trailed mostly across his face and his back that definitely weren’t all a hundred percent innocent. Without the excuse of Brainstorm doing something interesting to catch his attention, there was absolutely no reason to do that other than Perceptor must simply want to. The thought sparked an appreciative little shiver across Brainstorm’s wings.

A couple of days only looking for data he _wanted_ to look for hardly qualified as proper research, though. So he started paying attention to all of Perceptor’s behaviors and noted the following:

Perceptor tended to smile and-and-or laugh less when Brainstorm wasn’t involved in the conversation. He’d calculated Perceptor to smile at him for around sixty-seven percent of the total time of their interactions. A side note was made to remark upon Perceptor’s had a pretty mouth, with his lovely smile and kind of small, but well-defined lips and how kissable they looked—

(Brainstorm had to stop here and scribble out the rest of the paragraph-long note from there, cheeks burning.)

Anyway. Notes. Yes. The number of times Perceptor smiled dropped despairingly low when Brainstorm was absent. A damn shame; Perceptor had a gorgeous smile, all soft and small, and some fantastically _Perceptor_. It’s made Brainstorm trip over his own winglets on a multitude of occasions.

He also noted Perceptor was far less physical with other mechs around the ship he was friends with. Not that he was overtly physical with Brainstorm in the first place—just the occasional little guiding touch on his arm or a reassuring servo on his shoulder or, and these were Brainstorm’s favorites, a light brush on his waist to let him know Perceptor was passing behind him. But with everyone else, his servos never strayed from his sides unless it was to gesture. And even those were noticeably clipped and short.

So. There was that.

Brainstorm laid out the data in front of him. Perceptor liked to look at him for no good reason; Perceptor smiled and laughed around him more than other mechs; Perceptor was comfortable casually touching him.

His hypothesis?

Perceptor kept staring at him (and touching him and smiling at him) because he was into him.

Brainstorm’s wings fluttered delightedly, nearly sending his burette crashing to the ground. He reserved no small amount of attraction towards his lab partner—how could he not? Perceptor was brilliant, almost despairingly clever, and the impossibly complex mechanisms of his mind were something Brainstorm could spend _hours_ trying to engineer and—yeah. He liked Perceptor. A lot.

But now that the possibility for reciprocation was on the table?

He grinned, grateful that he was wearing his blast mask. Even so, from across the lab, Perceptor caught the happy squint of his optics and calmly said, “You look awfully pleased with yourself.”

Ah, how Brainstorm adored Perceptor’s non-questions. He adored a lot of things about him, but he found that particular mannerism of Perceptor’s especially endearing. “Just came up with a new idea for an experiment,” he said blithely. “Nothing to worry your pretty helm over.”

Perceptor’s scope visibly twitched in confusion. And then, though he didn’t quite smile, a certain kind of pleased softness rounded out his face. “Fine then,” he said. “Keep your secrets.”

Brainstorm barked out a laugh. “Maybe I will,” he teased. _For now._

Then began the _fun_ part of the process: experimenting.

Like with any experiment, Brainstorm needed to develop a procedure. But, like with any of _his_ experiments, the extent of his plans was pretty much ‘do whatever he wanted to until he found something he liked to do.’ And then keep doing it until he got the results he wanted. If he didn’t, he’d fuss around and try something else out until he did. Perceptor absolutely hated this style of experimenting, because “there were _some_ formalities that he should at least attempt to respect.” Heh. He’d probably bust a gasket over the number of creative liberties Brainstorm was about to take with this experiment.

In this particular case, ‘creative liberties’ meant he was going to flirt. And he was going to flirt _a lot._

He started small. The next day, he asked Perceptor to get their morning energon together. They almost always walked to the lab together afterward anyway, but by adding a request, it felt more purposeful. Intentful, instead of merely out of convenience. When they got to the mess hall, Brainstorm quickly offered to grab both of their cubes from the refueling station. Looking pleasantly surprised, Perceptor offered to go find seats and bustled off with a content curve to his lips.

Aside from that, they went about their morning energon entirely normally. They chatted between sips of energon about anything from which projects they wanted to start next to some new zany proof they were eager to try and tear apart. They kept it right up as they made their way to the lab, where they quickly buried themselves in their work. Brainstorm made sure to walk just the teensiest bit closer to Perceptor so that the tips of his wings occasionally brushed his arm as they headed down to the lab. Unfortunately, Perceptor kept moving away from him, though Brainstorm couldn’t be sure whether it was out of politeness or because he disliked the closeness. He’d have to try again another time.

They arrived at the lab and went about business as usual. Brainstorm didn’t want to make Perceptor uncomfortable, after all, and he was already being given strange looks for what he was doing. They fell back into their usual pattern for the remainder of the day.

Again, subtlety was vital here. So naturally, when the opportunity came to dump dozens of terrible science-related pick-up lines Brainstorm made up on the spot on Perceptor, you damn well know he took it. Brainstorm didn’t have a clue how exactly he was supposed to use them, and he was reasonably sure this was decidedly not it. But they made Perceptor smile (which in turn made Brainstorm almost drop a full well of samples), so he counted it as a success.

And so their lives went on. Brainstorm flirted, they worked, and Perceptor bemusedly accepted the abrupt changes to their routine. They drew closer and closer together, and for a while, Brainstorm completely forgot about his’ experiment.’ He just liked hanging out with Perceptor, being around him, as friends were wont to do. It wasn’t long before Perceptor became his absolute favorite mech to be around.

Then came the time to collect his data.

And what Brainstorm found was, to put it succinctly, extremely satisfying.

They began getting their morning energon together every morning. Perceptor now passed by Brainstorm’s hab suite, which was on the way to the mess hall, every morning before they went together. In the lab, Perceptor allowed him to use his alt mode more and more, once asking if he could study Brainstorm’s alt mode to research energy consumption. He seemed extremely keen on telling Brainstorm exactly how ‘cunning’ his design was. A couple times a week, Perceptor would invite him out for drinks at _Swerve’s,_ and honestly? It was fun talking with him. He was far snarkier than he let on and pretty damn funny to boot. And flirty. _Woo,_ was he flirty. Brainstorm wasn’t in a position to judge whether or not it was _good_ flirting, but still. What was he gonna do? Ask Perceptor to stop? Psh. No.

And all of that was great! Really, super, great. But those weren’t Brainstorm’s favorite conversations. That title was given to their debates. Not petty arguments about doing whether you should always assume a five-decimal accuracy or something dumb (but five was way too many.) No, he meant the actual thorough, thoughtful debates, the ones that left Brainstorm’s whole chassis abuzz with new ideas, and aching for the next day in the lab so they could get to work puzzling it out. Judging by the gleam in Perceptor’s monocle, he felt much the same.

One such debate led to what he was doing now. He and Perceptor were once again in the lab, the former looking down the latter’s scope at a sample of an organic virus. Cybertronians couldn’t catch and consequently fall ill to these types of viruses. However, they’d still wanted to research the behavior of some common viruses from Earth to try and draw similarities between them and Cybertronian diseases. They hadn’t really found many so far, though the concept of DNA fascinated Perceptor. _At its simplest, it’s a form of code,_ he’d said, scope waggling with anticipation. _Much different from our own, but that is precisely what makes it intriguing, no?_

Brainstorm had been too busy fawning over Perceptor’s excitement to answer with anything other than a dreamy, “Yeah, sounds like it.”

Analyzing all that data was a smidge more sobering than he really intended it to be. Taking a step back to recognize simply how _much_ had changed between them was almost overwhelming. In a good way, of course. Brainstorm didn’t regret a single thing. He loved being trusted to use Perceptor’s alt-mode, loved giving Perceptor little gifts he thought he’d enjoy, loved leaning on his shoulder while he laughed himself silly over a dumb joke. He just… hadn’t been expecting to get this far. And now he was a bit lost. But what was science if not to continually challenge the very state of the unknown?

What’s probably changed the most since Brainstorm’s little experiment began is how he and Perceptor worked together. At first, they’d fit into each other’s lives like a pair of neighboring puzzle pieces oriented the wrong way. Forced, crinkled at the edges, terribly apparent that this simply wasn’t right. Neither wanted to accommodate the other. But a bit of rotation, a bit of translation, and their picture was suddenly complete without even a single seam to show it’d been in pieces to begin with. Working alongside Perceptor had never been terrible, but now? Now it was like working with an extension of himself, only a billion times better because holy shit, Perceptor reinvented the definition of _brilliant._ Brainstorm had always known he was, but—holy _shit._

(No one had ever said he was good with words. He was a lover, not a writer.)

“How is your secret experiment going?” Perceptor asked suddenly. Brainstorm’s servo twitched, sending Perceptor’s scope out of focus.

“My what?” he asked absently as he readjusted the knob.

“Your ‘secret experiment.’” Brainstorm paused. He and the word ‘secret’ didn’t really last long together. “I don’t know what else to call it,” Perceptor said, faintly exasperated as Brainstorm remained confused. “You didn’t tell me anything about it, only that it was ‘nothing to worry my pretty helm over.’”

Ah. That’s what this was about. “Oh yeaaah. _That_ one.” Brainstorm smiled behind his mask as he bent down and moved the samples off the stage and back onto the lab table. He patted Perceptor’s side as he straightened, signaling he was done using his alt mode. Perceptor flipped back into his root mode and took the samples in hand.

“You never did tell me what it was about,” he said casually as he slid them into the incubator. “That’s highly uncharacteristic of you. Usually, you ask, ‘Want to hear about my new idea?’ and then you don’t wait for an answer.”

“In my defense, they’re excellent ideas. So? What about it?”

Perceptor hesitated. It wasn’t obvious, but the way he fiddled with the incubator’s timer for an extra second gave him away. Brainstorm frowned a little and set down his notepad. “I noticed soon after you mentioned it, your behaviors around me changed. Positively,” Perceptor affirmed quickly. “I must say, I’ve been very appreciative of our time together. But recently, I’ve found myself wondering what the nature of your experiment is supposed to be, and whether the recent developments of our… relationship is possibly related to it. And,” he continued, lips thinning anxiously, “if it is related, whether or not it is purely for the sake of your experiment.”

Slag. Brainstorm hadn’t considered Perceptor might mistake—Ugh. Scrap. “No!” he said too loudly. “No. Well, yes, and no. I-it’s a bit of both.” He put up his servos placatingly. Perceptor merely raised an expectant orbital ridge. “Promise you’re not gonna get mad at me.”

“Why would I?”

“’Cause it’s kinda weird. The whole thing kinda revolves around… you.”

“Then you ought to tell me.”

“I’m getting there.” Brainstorm rubbed his servos together. Then he reached up, unclasped his mask, set it down on his desk, and faced Perceptor. “Okay. So,” he began, “a while ago, I noticed you kept staring at me. And I wanted to know why.”

Perceptor flushed, but didn’t deny it. “And you didn’t think you could simply approach me and ask?”

“Maybe, yeah, but then you might’ve stopped, and then I never would’ve found out why you were doing it in the first place without more awkward questions you wouldn’t want to answer.” Perceptor tilted his head concedingly. Brainstorm continued, “So I ran a little experiment. Super informal.” He explained his research, from his evaluations of their relationship in the past to the point when the experiment had begun. He even brought out his tiny hand-held whiteboard, because even if he didn’t need a bunch of tiny arrows pointing out his thought process, he damn well felt better being able to draw them out.

“Very thorough, Brainstorm,” Perceptor said approvingly when he finished. To Brainstorm’s immense relief, he didn’t look at all anxious anymore. Instead, he looked to be almost… amused? Uh. “Well done. And given that research you compiled, what did you end up hypothesizing?”

Brainstorm bit his lip. Well. This was it then. Here goes… everything, really, but it’s fine. “I,” he began. “Well. I had a hunch that you…”

“Yes?”

Was he doing that on purpose? He had to be. That bright glow in his optic couldn’t be an accident. “I theorized,” Brainstorm said, abruptly realizing he was _way_ out of his area of expertise, which, while expansive, had proved pretty thoroughly that romantic endeavors were not included in it. “I theorized that you kept looking at me like that because you, possibly, were, uh. Into me?” he finished in a mutter.

A terribly tense second ticked by.

Then Perceptor smiled.

Brainstorm lit up. “Was I right?” he gasped.

“Is that a surprise to you?” Perceptor laughed.

“Being right? God, no. But—You’re serious? You’re not kidding? I’m gonna be real hacked off if you just ruined the integrity of my experiment, Percy,” he joked, but his spark was spinning at a million miles an hour, and he couldn’t stop anxiously bouncing his winglets.

“Clearly, you have more research to do if you think I would dare do such a thing,” Perceptor teased. His smile hadn’t faded in the slightest.

Brainstorm resisted the urge to squeal as giddiness wound up his chassis in powerful pulses of joy. He didn’t quite manage, and the strangled noise he made was about twenty times worse than if he’d just squealed. “Holy shit. Okay, uh. _Wow,_ first of all, second, I like you too, like, a lot”—he broke out into a burst of giggles—“and third, can I finish telling you about my experiment?”

Perceptor’s smile grew to a rare proper grin. “By all means.”

He told him everything. Perceptor listened with the same attentiveness he usually had for Brainstorm’s actual proposals, though there was something new and intense burning in his optics when Brainstorm finally finished.

“Well done, Brainstorm,” he said when he finally finished. “Though,” he coughed politely, “I wouldn’t have minded spending a bit more time in the experimental stage.”

Brainstorm’s optics sparkled. “Aren’t you the one always suggesting more trials?”

“Normally, yes, I would suggest that.” Perceptor stepped a little closer, smile talking on a coy lilt. “But I believe I can provide one more crucial data point you should consider that would support your conclusion.”

Brainstorm raised his chin. “It’d have to be a pretty damning bit of data, Perce.”

“I have no doubt it will be.”

This was so, so silly. Brainstorm’s never had more fun in his life. He grinned as Perceptor’s optics flicked down to his lips and back again.

“Well?” he prompted. “Let’s hear it then.”

“I think a demonstration will more than suffice,” purred Perceptor, and he took Brainstorm’s face in both servos and kissed him. Brainstorm’s optics flared wide and bright for a second, and then he made a happy noise, he enthusiastically kissed him back, arms flinging up to wrap around Perceptor’s shoulders. Perceptor hummed approvingly and tilted his helm to deepen their kiss. Brainstorm’s aft hit the edge of the desk, Perceptor pressed forward, and oh shit, that’s his _tongue,_ and all thoughts but one flew right out the window.

_Oh, yeah,_ Brainstorm thought as he smiled against Perceptor’s lips, _he’s totally into me_

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading!! if you wanna reblog this fic, you can do so here! thank you again and i hope you have a lovely day!


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